Box packing machine



June 9, 1959 E. a. GRIFFITH 2,889,676

BQX PACKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 f INVENTOR.

[Am 6. 62/FF/7'H uitzor/ze J June 9, 1959 E. a. GRIFFITH 2,339,676

BOX PACKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17. 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

[4 94 6. Germ/H June 9, 1959 E. G. GRIFFITH ox PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 1'7, 195'? INVENTOR.

0 6 a 6 fi 2 Y June 9, 1959 G. GRIFFITH 2,889,676

BOX PACKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17. 1957 5 Sheets-Shet 4 DRIVE .MOTOQ.

| PUMP l I g 58 4% L J 1 I 143 i If" .161 162 163 16G 1 1i 1 L1 l? 325. l 174 --w HYOUP 153 m. v i701,

179 18 1 as 181 INVENTOR.

June 9, 1959 E. G. GRIFFITH 2,889,676

BOX PACKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1957 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fitter/295 United States Patent BOX PACKING MACHINE Earl G. Grifiith, Downey, Calif. Application September 17, 1957, Serial No. 684,604

15 Claims. (Cl. 53-244) The, present invention relates generally. to apparatus for conveying and packing various commodities such as fruits and vegetables, and more particularly to a machine for filling boxes with fruit. While the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is particularly designed for use in connection with fruit, it will be realized that the invention is adaptable for use in connection with various other commodities without modification of the principles of the invention.

One serious problem encountered in connection with the present-day practices of packing and shipping large volumes of fruit, such as oranges and lemons, is the fact that such fruit is particularly sensitive to damage due to rough handling. To avoid damage to the fruit and subsequent rotting, it is necessary to a oid dropping the same, even the distance from the open mouth of a box to the bottom thereof. Since tremendous volumes of fruit are handled in present-day packing plants, it is obviously not feasible to hand-pack the fruit into boxes, exceptfin few cases involving extremely high-price, select grades.

Various solutions to the aforesaid problem have been and lowering of the boxes, particularly in a continuous conveyor system.

Another of the problems encountered in presently available commodity packing systems is the constant and automatic conveying of the empty boxes to the packing station and the removal thereof after they are filled.

In such a system it is necessary to carefully synchronize the operation of the box-filling means with the means employed to convey the boxes and to interrupt the movement thereof at the filling station. Such a system must operate continuously and automatically, irrespective of the weight of the commodity introduced into the boxes and it must be rugged and require substantially no attention from an operator.

With the foregoing problems in mind, it is a major object of the present invention to provide a fruit boxfilling machine in which the fruit is gently deposited in the boxes by an automatic and continuously operating conveyor system and in which the fruit is not permitted to drop in free fall through any substantial distance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the class described in which the operation of the box-filling means is automatically synchronized with means for conveying the empty boxes to the packduces another difliculty, that is, the automatic raising.

quently conveying the filled boxes away from the packs ing station.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide control means in apparatus of the class described which incorporates sensing means responsive to the amount of fruit in the box at any given instant to automatically adjust the packing or loading means to prevent free fallof the fruit as above set forth.

A still further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described which incorporates automatic obstruction-detecting means to interrupt the operation of the loading means upon encountering certain obstructions such, for example, as might be occasioned by a misplaced box.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof, consideration being given also to the attached drawings'in which:

Figure l is a partially sectioned, elevational view of a lemon box-packing machine embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational end view of the apparatus of Figure l as seen looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Figure l, certain parts being broken away to reveal underlying parts; 7 Figure 2A is a horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 2A--2A in Figure 2; t

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a limit-switch mechanism forming a portion of the device located within the circle 3 in Figure l and being shown in a differentposition than in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, partially sectioned view takenon the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are semi-schematic, diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of a vertical conveyor portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; c

Figure 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating portions of a box-conveyor and arresting mechanism incorporated in the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view as seen looking in the direction of the arrows 88 in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an elevational section taken 9-9 in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an enlarged elevational view as seen looking in the direction of the arrow 10 in Figure 7 and illustrating a sensing switch;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the stop mechanism in a release position;

Figure 12 is an elevational view as seen looking in the direction of the arrow 12 in Figure 11, certain parts being broken away to reveal underlying parts and with the mechanism in the same operational position as in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a wiring diagram for the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure 14 is a semi-schematic perspective view of control means for the vertical conveyor means illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the ini vention, it is well to have in mind the general purpose belt conveyor 21 to a roller feed conveyor 22 which, in

turn, delivers the lemons 20 through a vertical bucketconveyor 23 into packing boxes 24. Packing boxes 24 are carried by a horizontal chain conveyor system 25- and move from right to left, as seen in Figure 1, the motion on the line being interrupted as each box reaches a loading station immediately below the vertical conveyor 23.

As will be described in more detail hereinafter, the vertical conveyor 23 lowers the lemons from the output of the feed conveyor 22 gently into the boxes, 2,4, the entire vertical conveyor system moving upwardly as each box is filled.

In the detailed description to follow, the various conveying means will be described in the order that the lemons move through the system. The various components of the system to, be described are all mounted in an arch-like stationary frame 19 through which the boxes move.

The conventional belt conveyor 21 delivers lemons 20 from the left, as seen in Figure 1, into a temporary bulk supply, indicated at 26 in Figure l. The details of the belt conveyor 21 being conventional and not forming an integral part of the present invention, no further description is deemed necessary herein. Suflice it to say that means (not shown) are provided to interrupt the operation of the conveyor 21 from time to time as the temporary bulk supply at 26 reaches a maximum.

The purpose of the feed conveyor 22 is to take lemons from the bulk supply 26 and deliver the same in uniform, horizontally disposed rows to the upper end of the vertical conveyor system 23. The feed conveyor 22 comprises'a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, upwardly slanting', endless sprocket chains 27 running on sprockets 28 and 29 and carrying between the same rotatably mounted, parallel transverse rollers 30. A friction rail 31 bearing against the upper surfaces of the upper row of rollers causes each roller to rotate counter-clockwise on its own axis, as viewed in Figure l, as the conveyor chains 27 move the upper row of rollers 30 upwardly, as indicated by the arrow 32 in Figure 1. This retrograde rotation of the rollers 31 causes the lemons 20 to distribute themselves in horizontal transverse rows resting in the interstices between adjacent rollers.

As the lemons 20 are moved up the sloping upper surface of the feed conveyor 22 and reach the upper end of such surface, each row of lemons is periodically dumped offthe upper end of the conveyor 22 into the vertical conveyor 23 which will now be described.

There are, in fact, two vertical conveyor systems employed herein, located side-by-side, to fill each compartment of the conventional two-compartment citrus fruit box. A description of one of the vertical conveyors 23 suflices for both.

Each vertical conveyor 23 comprises in general a series of transverse trough-like buckets 35 constructed of a semi-rigid resilient material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber. The troughs 35 are constructed with a substantially vertical wall 36 on the right, as viewed in Figure. l, and an obliquely sloping wall 37 on the left disposed to receive the lemons dumped from the upper end of the feed conveyor 22.

The conveyor buckets 35 of a vertical conveyor are mounted between a pair of parallel endless sprocket chains 38 which, in turn, are carried on vertically spaced sprockets 39 and 40. As will be described in more detail, the upper sprocket 39 is the driving member of the pair 39-40 and the'lower sprocket 40 is an idler. Conventional screw adjusting means 41 are employed to support the shaft '42 of the idler sprocket 40 whereby to efiect the appropriate tension in the chains 38.

Each end of each bucket 35, is secured by nonwrotatable means (see Figure4) to horizontally aligned links of the chains 38 so as to maintain all of the buckets 35 to the. left of the vertical centerline of the conveyor system 23 in an upright, horizontal, fruit-receiving position.

The sprockets 39 and 40 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, carrying the row of buckets 35 on the left of the vertical centerline, downwardly and each bucket is inverted to dump out its load of lemons as the chains 33 pass aroundthe lower'idlersprocket 40. It will be noted that this movement of the buckets 35 around the axis of the lower sprockets 40 also tends to roll the lemons to the right, as viewed in Figure l, distributing the same across the bottom of the box 24. As previously mentioned, the buckets 35 are made from a pliable material so that the distributing action just referred to does not result in damaging the fruit.

It is preferable that the motion of the buckets around the sprocket 40 be at substantially the same rate as the downward motion thereof so as to avoid an undesirable slapping of the bucket walls 37 against the fruit as the buckets 35 are inverted. To this end the buckets are positioned between the chains 38 with the chains lying on the transverse centerline of the troughs. Thus the swing of the buckets 35 around the center of the sprocket 40 is approximately at the rate of their vertical travel, which would not be the case if the buckets were cantilevered outwardly of the chains 38.

The just-described construction makes for acompact conveyor that can be lowered into the boxand still leave room to receive the control means to be described.

One of the objects previously stated herein is to prevent any substantial free fall of the fruit as it is deposited in the box 24. Thus it is necessary that as each box is filled, the entire vertical conveyor 23 moves upwardly so that the successive. inversion of the buckets 35 occurs exactly at the top level of the lemons already packed into the box 24.

To accomplish the just-described upward movement of the conveyor 23, each bucket conveyor, including the buckets 35, the sprocket chains 38, the sprockets 39 and 40, and the shafts 42 and 43 on which the sprockets are mounted, is carried in a vertically movable frame 50.

The frame 50, the details of which may be seen best in Figure 2, includes a horizontal top member 51 are two pairs of vertical side plates 52-53 and 54-55. The conveyor. sprocket shafts 42 and 43 are journaled inthe side plates 5253 and 54-55. The upper shaft 43 projects outwardly beyond the side plate 52, as shown in Figure 2, and carries thereon a driven sprocket 57, as can be seen in Figures 5 and 6.

Vertical movement of the frame 50 is effected by means of a hydraulic cylinder 60 containing a plunger 61 carrying a cross-head 62 at the upper end thereof to which are attached vertical connecting rods 63, the lower ends of which are connected to the cross member 51 of the frame 50.

Hydraulic fluid to actuate the cylinder-plunger 60-61- is provided by a motor-driven pump 64 and the fluid is delivered through a conduit 65 under the control of a solenoid-actuated valve 66. Conventional returnmeans (not shown) are provided for returning hydraulic fluid from the cylinder 60 under control of a solenoid valve 69 to the pump 64,-

Admission of pressure fluid to the cylinder 60 through:

the. valve 66, as will be described, causes the plunger 61 to move upwardly, raising. the entire frame 50 carrying both vertical conveyors 23. Conversely, release of fluid from the cylinder 60 through the valve 69 lowers the frame 50. Guide rollers 67 mounted on and projecting outwardly from the sides of the frame 50 run in fixed tracks 68 secured to the main arch frame 19 and cooperate with the rods 63 to maintain the frame 50 in its vertical position during upward and downward movement thereof.

Power to drive the vertical conveyor 23 is furnished by an electric motor 58 mounted at the top of the stationary arch frame 19. The electric motor delivers its power through a V-belt 69, a gear reduction 61, a drive sprocket 62, and a drive chain or link belt 63, to the driven sprocket 57 on the conveyor shaft 43.

It will be appreciated that in order to prevent any substantial free fall or rough handling of the lemons.

20 as they move from the upper end of the feed conveyor 22'into the vertical conveyor 23, it is essential that one of the buckets 35 be located immediately adjacent each transverse row of lemons 20 as the same roll off the upper end of the feed conveyor 22. To this end, means are provided in the illustrated apparatus to maintain the movement of the buckets 35 in exact synchronism with the movement of the transverse rollers 30 of the feed conveyor 22. The details of this synchronizing means may be seen best in Figures 5 and 6.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the link belt 63, which drives the driven sprocket 57, runs over a pair of movable idlers 70 and 71, the fixed axles of which are mounted on the vertical conveyor frame 50, and a fixed idler 72, the axle of which is carried in the main arch frame 19, as can be seen in Figure 2.

The link belt 63 also passes around a driven sprocket 74 and an idler 75, the driven sprocket 74 being secured to a shaft 76 of the feed conveyor 22 whereby to drive the latter in synchronism with the vertical conveyor 23, which is driven by the driven sprocket 57. The proportions'of the conveyors '22 and 23 and their respective driven sprockets 74 and 57 are such that their rates are identical, i.e., the same number per minute of rollers 30 as buckets 35 pass a given point as the two conveyors are operated in unison.

' From a consideration of Figures 5 and 6, it be seen that as the vertical conveyor frame 50 is raised or lowered, the driven sprocket 57, in effect, climbs up or runs down the right hand web of the link belt 63. Thus, were the link belt 63 stationary during the raising or lowering of the frame 50, the buckets in the vertical conveyor 23 would be rotated in a direction to counteract the vertical movement of the frame 50 insofar as the left hand buckets (as seen in Figure l) are concerned. Thus, once the proper relationship between the'rollers 30 and the buckets 35 is established, such relationship will remain, irrespective of the vertical position of the frame 50 and irrespective of the continued rotation of the two conveyors 22 and 23.

Turning now to the consideration of the means employed to control the vertical movement of the conveyor 23, reference should be had particularly to Figures 1 and 14. The quantity of lemons in a particular box 24 at any given instant is sensed by a pair of vertical paddles 80, one located in each compartment of the box 24 at the loading station. The paddles 80 are mounted by means of a pair of vertical arms 81 to a horizontal rock shaft 82 which is, in turn, carried in pivot bearings 83 on the cross member 84 of a swinging frame 85. The frame 85' includes a pair of swing arms 86, the ends of which are pivotally secured to the conveyor frame 50, as shown at 87.

The mounting of the paddles 80, as above described, permits two modes of motion thereof, i.e., pendulum-like swinging movement about the axis of the rock shaft 82 and substantially translatory vertical movement occasioned by the rocking of the frame 85 about the pivots 87. The pendulum-like motion is indicated by an arrow 88 in Figure 14 and the translatory vertical movement by an arrow 89.

The pendulum-like movement indicated at 88 is transmitted to a sensing switch 90 by a crank arm 91 secured to the rock shaft 82 and a connecting rod 93 connected at its upper end to the actuating lever 94 of the switch 90. A turnbuckle 95 is provided in the connecting rod 93 to adjust the length thereof whereby to adjust the mechanism to actuate the switch 90 at a given point in the swinging movement of the paddle 80.

The vertical translatory movement 89 of the paddles 80 is similarly translated to a sensing switch 96 through a connecting rod 97 connected at its lower end by a bracket 98 to the horizontal frame member 84. A tumbuckle 99 is similarly provided to adjust the length of the connecting rod 97.

As the lemons are delivered to the box 24 by the verconveyor 23 and are rolled to the rearlpf thebox by the movement of the successive buckets passing around the lower sprocket 40, they impinge against the paddle 80. When sufficient lemons have been piled against the paddle to swing the same in a counter-clockwisedirection, as viewed in Figure 1, this actuates the switch and operates through a circuit to be described'to cause delivery of pressurized fluid to the hydraulic cylinder 60 and raise the conveyor framev 50. v I Due to the previously described mounting of the control means, as shown in Figure 14, the paddle 80 as well as the conveyor 23 is lifted by thehydraulic cylinder,- plunger 60-61, thus raising the paddle 80 away from the lemons which have piled against it and permitting it to swing back (clockwise) to its former position. The returnswing of the paddle resets the switch 90 to its initial position and stopsthe upward movement of the conveyor frame 50. Thus, as the level of lemonsrises in aparticular box 24, the vertical conveyor 23 is raised concurrently so as to keep the lowermost conveyor buckets of the conveyor 23 exactly at the top level of the lemons packed in the box and preventing any bruising or other damage due to free fall.

Two separate limit switches are provided for controlling the operation of the conveyor-raising means at the upper end of its stroke. These switches are shown in Figuresal and 3 and are identified by the reference characters 101 and 102. The limit switches 101 and 102 are actuated by collar members 103 and 104, respectively, which are adjustabl'y clamped to the connecting rod 63 adjacent the upper end thereof. The switch-actuating collar 103. is provided with a vertically extending T-like member'or actuating cam positioned to overlie the collar 104 and also adapted to permit substantial vertical movement of the connecting rods '63 after the switch 101 has been actuated .without changing the position of the switch.

The connection of the switches 101 and 102 in the circuit will be described later herein. Suflice it'to say at this point that, as the conveyor frame 50 and, hence, the connecting rods 63 approach the upper end of a stroke, i.e., the position inwhich the box 24 is filled with lemons, the actuating cam 105 first engages the switch 101 which is thereby actuated to perform two functions, i. e., one, to stop the operation of the drive motor and the conveyors 22 and 23 and, two, to take over the control of the cylinder piston 60--61theretofore under the control of the sensing paddle 80. 1

After actuation of the switch 101, the frame 50 continues to rise until the actuator collar 104 engages the switch 1 02'which controls the operation of the hydraulic means to stop the upward movement of the conveyor frame 50. Other means to be described thereafter release the filled box 24, permit it to move out of the way, move an empty box into the filling station, and lower the conveyance 23 v to its starting position with the lower buckets adjacent the which is positioned to be engaged by a switch-actuating collar 107 adjustably secured on the connecting rod 63.

The position of the collar 107 on the rod 63 is so adjusted to stop the downward motion of the frame 50 with the lowermost conveyor bucket 35 just above the bottom of the empty box 24. As will be described in more detail later herein, actuation of the limit switch 106 restarts the operation of the conveyors 22 and 23 to load the box.

A box conveyor 109, comprising an incoming section 109a and an outgoing section 109b, serves to carry the boxes through the arch frame 19. It will be seen that; each box rests on pairs of horizontal sprocket chainsjlt);

of the incoming eonveyor section 199a as they enter the loading station, and at that point are transferred to pairs 'of sprocket chains 111 of the outgoing section 10%. 'T he sprocket chains 110 and 111 rest in troughs 113 and 114, respectively, so as to present a firm horizontal moving surface for the boxes to rest on.

As can be seen in Figure l, the chains 110 and 111 are respectively driven by sprockets 115 and 116 mounted on a common shaft 117. Since the driving sprocket 115 is smaller in diameter than the sprocket 116, the movement of the chains 110 is somewhat slower than the rate of movement of the chains 111.

When a particular box 24 -is halted in at its leftward travel by arresting means to be described, the remaining boxes in the system pile up behind it and are also arrested, the chains 110 thereafter sliding against the bot tom surfaces of the arrested boxes.

When the arresting means is actuated to release the filled box from the loading station, all of the boxes are again permitted to move with the respective chains 110 and 111. Due to the fact that the rate of movement of the outgoing chains 111 is slightly greater, however, the filled box moves away from the box immediately behind it, due to the fact that the latter is moving under the influence of the slower incoming chains 110. Thus, as the next empty box moves into the loading station, there is a space between it and the previously filled box which permits the arresting gear to move into place, as will be described.

The box arresting gear may be seen generally in Figure 1, and the details and operation are illustrated in Figures 7 through 12. The movement of the boxes is interrupted at the loading station by means of a pair of rollers 120 which are projected from opposite sides into the path of the box, as shown in Figure 8. rollers and the linkage which actuates the same are identical on opposite sides of the box, a description of one sufiices for both.

Each of the rollers 120 is rotatably mounted at the upper end of an L-shaped bell crank 121 which is pivotally supported on the main frame, the pivot being indicated at 122 in the drawings. As the bell crank 121 swings about its pivot 122, the rollers 120 carried on the upper end are swung into or out of the path of the oncoming box. A counterweight 123 is mounted at the inner end of the bell crank whereby the normal rest position of the latter is with the rollers 120 in the path of the box arresting the movement thereof.

Coordinate movement of the rollers 120 is elfected by means of a rock frame 124 pivotally mounted to the main frame at 125 and extending across the entire width of the box conveyor 109'. The frame 124 includes side arms 126, a cross bar 127, and an additional cross member 128. Swinging movement of the swing frame 124 is coordinated with the movement of the conveyor frame 50 by means of a pair of vertical control rods 128 located at opposite sides of the box conveyor and having their upper ends connected to the frame 50 by a cross shaft 129 (see Figure 2). A vertically adjustable collar 1281; is secured to the connecting rod 128 and so adjusted to engage the cross bar 128a as the conveyor frame 50 reaches the upper end of its travel, thus swinging the rock frame 124 upwardly to disengage the box-arresting rollers 120, as will be described.

On the cross bar 127 at the outer end of the rock frame 124 is a pair of box-sensing members 130 which are rotatably carried on the cross bar 127 and carry an abutment 131 at the lower end which is adapted to swing under the horizontal arm 123a of the bell crank 121, as can be seen in full line in Figure 12. The static balance of the boxsensing member 130, together with its abutment 1.31 is such that in normal rest position, the abutment underlies the crank arm 123a and the upper portion 139a projects upwardly into the path of boxes moving in the box conveyor 109. i

Inasmuch as the When a moving box engages the upper portion 103a of the box-sensing member, it swings to a position shown in phantom line in Figure 12, thereby releasing the crank arm 123a and permitting the same to drop under the influence of the counterweight 123, moving the roller into box-arresting position. i

The operation of the mechanical portions of the boxarresting gear are as follows. Starting with the condition where the box at the loading station has just been filled, it will be seen that the upward movement of the rods 128 swings the frame 124 upwardly and, due to the engagement of the abutments 131 under the crank arms 123a, swings the rollers 120 outwardly to the position shown in full line in Figure 11. As soon as the rollers 1'20 disengage the box 24 the box moves along the out: going conveyor chains 111 and engages the upper portion a of the box-sensing member. The movement (if the box against the member 130 causes the same to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 12, disengaging the abutment 131 from the cranlr arm and permitting the latter to rotate under the influence of the counterweight 12.3 to swing the roller 120 in against the side of the moving box. As the box moves along, the roller rests against the side, rolling thereon, and as soon as the rearward end of the box passes the roller, the same drops into the space ahead of the oncoming box, arresting the same in the appropriate filling position, as previ. ously d ss sd- Thereafter, due to the operation of the vertical con: veyor control system, the frame 50 is lowered, lowering the connecting rods 128 and permitting the abutment 131 to reassurne its position underlying the horizontal crank arms 123a.

Obviously, the conveyor frame 50 must not be low-, ered unless and until anempty box is properly positioned to receive the same. Also, the frame '50 should not start to move downwardly until the arresting gear is in position to arreast the box movement, i.e., in the position shown in Figures 6 and 7. i I

To achieve the foregoing mode of control, two seriesconnected box-sensing switches are employed and are in.- dicated in the drawings at 135 and 136, respectively. The switch 135 is atcuated by a short crank arm 137 secured to the bell crank 123 to move therewith, the switch being so oriented as to be closed when the arresting rollers 120 are engaged in front of the oncoming box. H

The box-sensing switch 136 is so positioned as to he closed when a 'box is in the loading station. Thus it will be seen that, although the switch '136 is closed as soon as an oncoming box starts to move into the loading positron, the conveyor frame 50 cannot move downwardly until the rollers 120 drop off the rearward endof the outgoing box into the space in front of the oncoming box. Also, even though the'rollers 120 may have moved into box-arresting position, the frame 50 cannot be lowered until a box has actually moved into the loading station and closed the switch 136.

The operations of the various components previously described as synchronized and coordinated by means of an electric circuit illustrated in Figure 13. The previously described conveyor drive motor 58, the pump motor 54, the solenoiclroperated valves 66 and 69, and the various control switches 90, 96, 101, 102, 106, 135, and 136 are all shown in the wiring diagram and, in addition, cer..- tain other electrical components are included, as will be described.

The present apparatus is constructed to operate on three-phase alternating current, the input of which is indicated generally at 160. A conventional main control switch and appropriate overload circuit breakers are all mounted in a main control box, indicated generally at 148.

Three-phase power for the drive motor 58 and the pump motor 641 is delivered from the control box 148 through the power busses 161, 162, and 163. Control voltage is taken from two of the power busses 161 and 162 and appears on control busses 164 nd 165. The actuating coils of the hereinafter described relays and the solenoid-operated valves 66 and 69 all designed to operate on the voltage appearing on the control busses 164 and 165. Hereinafter described indicator lights 152, 153, and 154 are also designed for the control voltage. Each of the relay coils, solenoid coils, and indicator lights has a return connection to the bus 165, such return connections not being further identified in the drawings.

The respective operations of the conveyors 22 and 23 and the upward and downward bodily movement of the vertical conveyor 23 are coordinated by means of a conventional self-latching relay 140. The relay 140 is of the type which includes two actuating coils connected to move a set of contacts between two alternate positions and includes means (not shown) for latchingthe contacts into" the position into which they were last" moved, the contacts remaining in such positionuntil moved to the opposite position. Both mechanical and electrical means for accomplishing the foregoing mode of relay operation being well known in the art, no further description thereof is deemed necessary herein. A conventional motor-operating relay 144 is provided for connecting the power busses 161, 162, and 163 to the drive motor 58 when its actuating coil 145 is energized. When the bridging contact 141 in the control relay 140 is in the position shown in full line in Figure 13, it closes contacts 142 delivering control voltage through conductors 166 and 167, the then closed contacts of the limit switch 101, and a conductor 168 to the actuating coil 145 of the motor relay 144 closing the latter to deliver power to the drive motor 58. The last described position of the bridging contact 141 also energizes contacts of the control switch 90 whereby the latter when closed by swinging of the paddles 80, delivers control voltage through conductors 170 and 171 to the actuating coil of the up valve 66. Actuating the valve 66 causes the entire vertical; conveyor 23 to be moved upward, as previously described. Movement of the limit switch 101 to the position opposite that shown in full line in Figure 13 similarlyg delivers control voltage through the conductors 167, 172, and 171 to the up valve 66, causing upward movement of the vertical conveyor 23. The last-described operation, it-will be recalled, occurs at or near the upper limit of the conveyor movement, when, in effect, the switch 101 takes over the control operations previously governed by these from the conductor 175, through the two series switches 135 and 136, and a conductor 176, to the down solenoid valve 69. Actuation of the down solenoid 69, it will berecalled, releases hydraulic fiuid from the cylinder 60 and permits the vertical conveyor 23 to move downwardly. It will be noted that opening of either of the two switches 135.0r 136 breaks the series connection to the solenoid valve 69 and stops further downward movement of the conveyor 23.

It will be realized that the movement of the bridging contact 141 from its position shown in full line in Figure 13 ,breaks the control voltage connection to the relay coil 145 and thus opens the power circuit and stops the drive motor 8.

When the conveyor 23 reaches its lowermost position it engages the limit switch 106, as previously described,

energizing the appropriate coil in the control relay 140 to move the bridging contact 141 back to its position-shown in full line in Figure 13, re-energizing the power relay coil 145 and restarting the drive motor 58. The other normal operations effected by the closure of the contact 142 have previously been described.

The control switch 96, it will be recalled, is mechanically connected to respond to upward movement occasioned by the lower edge of the paddle 80 encountering an obstruction as the conveyor 23 moves downwardly. As can be seen in Figure 13, actuation of the control switch 96 not only opens the circuit to the down" valve 69 but closes a circuit through a conductor 177 and the conductors and 171 to the up valve 66. Thus, when the downwardly moving conveyor 23 strikes an obstruction, not only is the downward movement halted, but the movement is reversed and the conveyor 23 lifted until it clears the obstruction permitting the switch 96 to return to its normal position, shown in full line in Figure 13.

The function of the various indicator lights, shown in Figure 13, is believed to be apparent from the circuit diagram. The light 152 indicates the presence of control voltage on the busses 161 and 162, thus indicating that the electrical control elements are in a condition to operate.

The light 153 is energized through a conductor 179 whenever the conveyor 23 is being moved downwardly due to the closure of the control contacts 143. Interruption of the downward movement due to an obstruction breaks the contact to the indicator light 153.

Back contacts in the switch 136 are closed when no box is present at the loading station. This condition is indicated in full line in Figure 13 and it will be seen completes a circuit through conductors 180 and 181 to an indicator light 154, thus indicating faulty operation of the box conveyor 109.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided fully automatic box loading apparatus in which the empty boxes are continuously and automatically moved into a loading station, are automatically filled with fruit, and thereafter moved out of the loading station. It will also be seen that the loading operation is accomplished without rough handling or free fall of the fruit, and provision is made for interruption of the operations in the event of malfunction of any portion thereof. Still further, appropriate means are provided to indicate to an operator the current cgnditifon of the apparatus and to signal any malfunction t ereo While the form of the device shown and described herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be realized that it is capable of some modification without departure from the spirit of the invention. For this reason I do not mean to be limited to the form shown and described, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Packing apparatus comprising: a loading conveyor having a discharge end adapted to enter an empty contamer and discharge a commodity thereinto adjacent the bottom thereof and adjacent one end thereof; means carried ,by said conveyor to move the commodity discharged into said container horizontally toward the other end thereof; and means responsive to the level of commodity in said container adjacent said other end thereof to raise said loading conveyor progressively out of said container as said level rises whereby said discharge of commodity always occurs substantially adjacent the top surface of the commodity already in said container thereby to eliminate free fall of commodity into said container during the filling thereof.

2. Packing apparatus comprising: a loading conveyor having a discharge end adapted to enter an open topped, emptycontainer and discharge a commodity thereinto adjacent the bottom thereof and adjacent one end thereof; means carried by said conveyor to move the com! modity discharged into saidcontainer horizontally toward" commodity always occurs substantially adjacent the top surface of the commodity already in said container thereby to eliminate free fall of commodity into said container during the filling thereof.

3. Packing apparatus comprising: transport means adapted to move empty containers horizontally and successive y into a loading station, to retain said containers atsaid station during filling thereof and to move said containers horizontally away from said station when filled; a loading conveyor adapted to be lowered into a container positioned at said station and to discharge a commodity into said container adjacent the bottom thereof; means responsive to the level of commodity in said container to raise said loading conveyor bodily as said level rises whereby said discharge of commodity always occurs substantially adjacent the top surface of the commodity already in said container, thereby to eliminate free fall of said commodity into said container during the filling thereof; and means responsive to the vertical position of said loading conveyor and to the position of containers in said transport means to interrupt the operation of said conveyor during movement of a filled container out of said station and an empty container thereinto, said last means including an element responsive to the arrival of an empty box in said station to reinstitute operation of said conveyor.

4. Packing apparatus comprising: transport means adapted to move empty containers horizontally and successively into a loading station and move filled containers horizontally away from said station; arresting means positioned adjacent said transport means at said station and adapted to interrupt the movement of containers in said transport means whenever an empty container reaches said loading station; a loading conveyor adapted to be lowered into said container in said station and to discharge a commodity into said container adjacent the bottom thereof; means responsive to the level of commodity in said container to progressively raise said loading conveyor out of said container as said level rises whereby said discharge of commodity always occurs substantially adjacent the top surface of the commodity already in said container thereby to eliminate free fall of said commodity into said container during filling thereof; and control means responsive to the vertical position of said loading conveyor to interrupt said discharge of commodity and release said arresting means when said loading conveyor reaches a position corresponding to the top level in said container.

5. Packing apparatus comprising: means defining a loading station to support an empty container in position to receive a commodity; a loading conveyor positioned at said station and adapted to discharge commodity into a container therein; incoming transport means adapted to move line of mutually abutting empty containers at a predetermined rate along a predetermined horizontal path successively into said station; arresting gear including movable elements adapted to be interposed in said path to halt the movement of said line of empty containers with the foremost container positioned in said station; outgoing transport means adjoining said incoming transport means at said station and adapted to move containers along continuation of said path out of said station at a rate greater than that of said incoming containers whereby to move each outgoing container away from said line of empty containers and leave space for said arresting elements to be interposed as aforesaid; and means responsive to the level of commodity in said container at said station to remove said elements from said path and release said container when filled.

6. Packing apparatus comprising: means defining a loading station to support an empty container in position to receive a commodity; a loading conveyor having a discharge end positioned and adapted to enter an empty container in said station and discharge commodity into said container; means responsive to the level of commodity in said container to raise said loading conveyor progressively out of said container as said level rises whereby said discharge of commodity always occurs substantially ad'- jacent the top surface of the commodity already in said container thereby to eliminate free fall of commodity into said container during the filling thereof; incoming transport means adapted to move a line of mutually abutting empty containers at a predetermined rate along a predetermined horizontal path successively into said station; arresting gear including movable elements adapted to be interposed in said path to halt the movement of said line of empty containers with the foremost container positioned in said station; outgoing transport means adjoining said incoming transport means at said station and adapted to move containers along acontinuation of said path out of said station at a rate greater than that of said incoming containers whereby to move each outgoing container away from said line of empty containers and leave space for said arresting elements to be interposed as aforesaid; means responsive to the level of commodity in said container at said station to remove said elements from said path and release said container when filled; means responsive to said level of commodity to stop operation of said conveyor when said container is filled; and means responsive to the presence of an empty container in said station to lower said conveyor to place the discharge end adjacent the bottom of said empty container and reinstitute operation of said conveyor and raising means as aforesaid.

7. Packing apparatus comprising: means defining a loading station to support an empty container in position to receive a commodity; a loading conveyor positioned at said station and adapted to discharge commodity into a container therein; incoming transport means adapted to move a line of mutually abutting empty containers at a predetermined rate along a predetermined horizontal path successively into said station; arresting gear including movable elements adapted to be interposed in said path to halt the movement of said line of empty containers with the foremost container positioned in said station; outgoing transport means adjoining said incoming transport means at said station and adapted to move containers along a continuation of said path out of said station at a rate greater than that of said incoming containers whereby to move each outgoing container away from said line of empty containers and leave space for said arresting elements to be interposed as aforesaid; means responsive to the level of commodity in said container at said station to remove said elements from said path and release said container when filled; and resetting means responsive to movement of a container out of said loading station to again interpose said elements in said path as aforesaid.

8. In packing apparatus of the type in which containers are successively moved into a loading station, filled with a commodity, and moved out of said station, conveyor means for filling said containers as aforesaid comprising: a bucket conveyor adapted to enter a container at said station and having a plurality of buckets each adapted and positioned to receive a given unit quantity of commodity, to carry the same downwardly along a substantially linear path on one side of said conveyor into said container, and to invert and dump said quantity from said bucket at a discharge level adajacent the bottom end of said conveyor, said inverted buckets passing around the lower end of said conveyor and returning upwardly along the other side of said conveyor, said buckets having pliable lips thereon to move said commodity dis-' charged into said container horizontally .under said conveyor; a frame carrying said conveyor and being mounted for vertical movement adjacent said loading station to continuously raise said discharge level; and control means including a sensing element located adjacent said other side of said conveyor and responsive to the level of commodity already in said container to raise said frame as said container is filled whereby to minimize free fall of said commodity when dumped as aforesaid.

9. In packing apparatus of the type in which containers are successively moved into a loading station, filled with a commodity, and moved out of said station, conveyor means for filling said containers as aforesaid, comprising: a bucket conveyor adapted to enter a container at said station and having a plurality of buckets each adapted and positioned to receive a given unit quantity of commodity, to carry the same downwardly along a substantially linear path on one side of said conveyor into said container, and to invert and dump said quantity from said bucket at a discharge level adjacent the bottom end of said conveyor, said inverted buckets passing under the lower end of said conveyor and returning upwardly along the other side of said conveyor and said buckets having outer lips thereon to move said commodity horizontally under said bucket conveyor as said buckets pass under said conveyor as aforesaid; a frame carrying said conveyor and being mounted for vertical movement adjacent said loading station to continuously raise said discharge level; control means including a sensing element adjacent said other side of said conveyor and responsive to the level of commodity already in said container to raise said frame as said container is filled whereby to minimize free fall of said commodity when dumped as aforesaid; a feed conveyor having means therein to pick up successive unit quantities of said commodity from a bulk supply and transfer the same to said bucket conveyor, said feed conveyor discharging at a fixed level adjacent the down-moving side of said bucket conveyor; and means drivingly interconnecting said conveyors to cause synchronous movement thereof at the same rate whereby each unit quantity delivered by said feed co-nveyor is transferred without substantial free fall into a downwardly moving bucket of said bucket conveyor.

10. The construction of claim 9 further characterized in that said driving interconnection is made at a point in said bucket conveyor in the down-moving side thereof whereby said synchronism is maintained irrespective of vertical movement of said frame.

11. In packing apparatus of the type in which boxes are successively moved into a loading station, filled with a commodity, and moved out of said station, conveyor means for filling said boxes as aforesaid, comprising: a stationary support at said station; a frame mounted on said support above said station for vertical movement toward and away from said station; a pair of upper sprockets mounted on a transverse horizontal shaft journaled in said frame; a pair of lower sprockets mounted on a shaft parallel to said first shaft below the same and journaled in said frame with respective sprockets in each pair in common vertical planes; a pair of endless sprocket chains, each respectively rotatably meshed with two of said sprockets in a common plane; a plurality of transverse horizontal buckets uniformly spaced along said chains and having their opposite ends respectively secured to said chains and said chains being normally rotated in a direction to form a vertical bucket conveyor with all buckets on a down-moving side being upright and all buckets on the opposite up-moving side being inverted, said bucket conveyor and the frame portion carrying the lower of said shafts being proportioned and positioned to be received in an open-topped box in said station and being adapted to lower commodity in said buckets into said box, to dump the same onto the bottom of said box as said buckets pass around said lowermost shaft; means to drive said chains in said normal direction;

power means to raise said frame; sensing means mounted on said frame and including a member projecting alongside saidconveyor ,to enter an empty box therewith and to actuate said power means to raise said conveyor coordinately with the rising .level of commodity dumped into said box; and feed means to deliver material into said upright buckets to be lowered into said box as aforesaid. V

12. The constructionof claim 11 further characterized in that said feed means includes: a pair of parallel, hori zontal shafts positioned in a common oblique plane with the uppermost shaft parallel to said buckets and adjacent a point in said down-moving side of said bucket conveyor; a pair of spaced sprockets mounted on eachof said last-mentioned shafts, respective sprockets in each ofsaid pairs being operatively aligned;.a pair of parallel endless sprocket'chainsrespectively meshed with said aligned sprockets; a plurality of transverse rollers uniformly spaced along said last-mentioned chains and having their respective ends rotatably connected to said chains to form a moving roller conveyor adapted to carry rows of spheroidal articles comprising said commodity in the spaces between successive adjacent rollers; means to drive said last-named chains in a direction to carry said rows of articles upwardly along the upper side of said roller conveyor to dump the same into successive upright buckets in said bucket conveyor; and means to support a bulk supply of said commodity above a lower portion of said roller conveyor and in contact therewith to be picked up in said roller spaces and carried upwardly as aforesaid.

13. Construction of claim 12 further characterized in that the drive means for said roller conveyor includes: a positive drive connection to said bucket conveyor chains at a point in the down-moving side of said bucket conveyor whereby said conveyors move at a synchronous rate, irrespective of the vertical movement or position of said frame.

14. In packing apparatus of the type in which boxes are successively moved into a loading station, filled with a commodity, and moved out of said station, conveyor means for filling said boxes as aforesaid comprising: a stationary support at said station; a frame mounted on said support above said station for vertical movement toward and away from said station; a bucket conveyor including a plurality of buckets mounted at spaced points along flexible means passing around and engaged with rotary members journalled one above the other in said frame, said flexible means and rotary means normally moving in a direction such that said buckets that move downwardly are upright, said bucket conveyor and the frame portion carrying the lower of said rotary members being proportioned and positioned to be received in an open top box in said station and being adapted to lower commodity in said buckets into said box to dump the same onto the bottom of said box as said buckets pass around said lower rotary member; means to drive said rotary members in said normal direction; power means to raise said frame; sensing means mounted on said frame and including a member projecting alongside said conveyor to enter an empty box therewith and to actuate said power means to raise said conveyor coordinately with the rising level of commodity dumped into said box; and feed means to deliver material into said upright buckets to be lowered into said box as aforesaid.

15. In packing apparatus of the type in which boxes are successively moved into a loading station, filled with a commodity, and moved out of said station, conveyor means for filling said boxes as aforesaid comprising: a stationary support at said station; a frame mounted on said support above said station for vertical movement toward and away from said station; a bucket conveyor including a plurality of buckets mounted at spaced points along flexible means passing around and engaged with rotary members journalled one above the other in said frame, said flexible means and rotary meansnormally moving in a direction such that said buckets that move downwardly are upright, said bucket conveyor and the frame portion carrying the lower of said rotary members being proportioned and positioned to be received in an open top box in said station and being adapted to lower commodity in said buckets into said box to dump the same onto the bottom of said box as said buckets pass around said lower rotary member; means to drive said rotary members in said normal direction; power means to raise said frame; sensing means mounted on said frame and including a member projecting alongside said conveyor to enter an empty box therewith and to actuate said power means to raise said conveyor coordinately with the rising level of commodity dumped into said 15 box; a fixed position feed conveyor having means to pick up unit quantities of said commodity and deliver the same successively into said upright buckets at a point intermediate said rotary members; and synchronous driving means interconnecting said flexible means and said feed conveyor to maintain synchronous movement of said unit quantities of commodity and said buckets Whereby said commodity is delivered directly into said buckets with a minimum of free fall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,490 Thompson et a1 Nov. 17, 1936 2,679,919 De Koning June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 459,899 Great Britain Jan. 18, 1937 

